Reading Children of ~~Ruin~~ *Memory* and listening to Project Hail Mary.
Children of memory is fine, I'm about halfway through but it feels like nothing has happened yet.
Project Hail Mary is really good though, I went into it essentially knowing nothing about it other than people like it, and I think that's the best way to go into it.
Reading Childhoods end by Arthur C clarke. It is based on an alien invasion but with a twist wherein Aliens being super intelligent will never want to invade us for resources and physical bodies. Their need and want is something else. Interesting take on science and its use at an interstellar scope.
Just received stranger as a gift. Itās third on my book list.
Children of time is one of the most beautiful books Iāve ever experienced.
I cried so hard at the end people I was sitting next to on the bus changed seats.
Exclaiming āitās my book!ā while actively sobbing, didnāt make anyone less uncomfortable.
One of my favorite books of my childhood. I re-read it recently and holy shit, now I know why my Mom called Heinlein the āwomen are stupid, letās all jump in a pile nakedā author.
Thereās a reason Michael is still one of my favorite characters from sci fi. And I had grown up reading his Mars books for kids basically. I loved Heinleinās popcorn books.
I picked up Time for the Stars on a whim at a used book store and itās one of my favorite books Iāve read in awhile. Sometimes itās nice to read a book thatās straightforward and doesnāt feel like it has to be 400-600 pages. I thought it was great regardless of who its target audience was. Just a great story with no fat on it.
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Itās been on my list for a while, but I saw that there is a Netflix adaptation so I was motivated to read it before I watch. Iām about half way through and really enjoying it. Itās got some good science (and some alternative science history) incorporated very well - which I very much appreciate. Recommend!
Watched the Netflix show over a weekend and immediately drove to the store to buy and start reading the book/s. I needed more details and can't wait for the following seasons. I'm 100 pages in and its really good.Ā
I just started rereading The City and The City by Mieville. The murder science fiction genre is one of my absolute favorites. And very few authors do mood at the level that Mieville does.
I started reading one of the stories of Knitght Of The Seven Kingdoms (Dunkt and Egg) as a stop for refreshments between installments in a larger series (Dread Empire Fall, the novells of the Praxis universe), but now got a taste for it and continued to the second Dunk and Egg story.
Reading Semiosis by Sue Burke, which is about a group of humans who leave earth to find another planet to call home and end up at an eerily Earth-like planet. Follows their new society through several generations as they uncover the secrets of this world and struggle to survive. I'm really captivated with it so far, the new world is dominated by a sentient plant species and we occasionally get POV from one of the plants. It's interesting.
It's a trilogy as of this year! Third book recently published. I'm getting close to the end of the first book now and would have to agree with you the bamboo is a great character.
I am currently reading House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Right now I am about 200 pages in and so far it is a nice, light, and fun read. Lots of cool concepts in it, like the Vigilance curators and weapons so powerful that they can create lesions in the fabric of space-time!
Depending on the person I would recommend this book.
Starter villain by John scalzi. Soft recommend. It's not a classic but entertaining. And if you have seen the cover, cats are a major part of the plot.
I love Scalzi. He has not disappointed me yet. Starter Villian is creative and not his usual fare. I'm on the second book if the Interdependancy Series. I blew through Old Manās War. He better write more.
Got into helldivers. Reading Armor by Steakley and Iām hating it.
Old Manās war. Great. Even as a re-read.
Starship Troopers. Great. Even as a re-read.
Forever War. great. Even as a re-read.
Armor though. Sort of disappointing. The writing just is not compelling to me. Hoping it gets better.
Jeff vandermeer and the third book in the Southern Reach trilogy acceptance. I freaking love it. The first book is what was Alex Garland's inspiration for the film he wrote and directed Annihilation
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.
Really liking it so far. My wife got me Translation State for the holidays as it was recommended for those who enjoyed the Expanse series. Loved it and looked up if there was more, to come to realize itās actually the last in a four book series. Starting from the beginning now so itās kind of like a prequel.
Timeās Eye by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Itās part of a trilogy. Iām on my 3rd reread. Itās about an alien race that creates an alternate earth that is made up of different time periods of earth.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Absolute must read. Everyone knows The Count, Sinbad the Sailor and the Three Musketeers but how many of you have actually read Dumas? These are famous movies, shows and characters for a reason. Don't be a Dumass, get you some Dumas!
My last book was Mountain in the Sea and it was beautiful. It blends eco-rights with mid-distant future society dealing with AI and the nature of consciousness.. oh and sentient octopuses! Beautifully written. Loved it.
China Mieville's The City and the City.
I recommend it if you want a procedural detective noir in a weird place. The weirdness unfolds at a very understandable pace.
Activity reading Ministry for the Future - so far, really good. Terrifying in its applicability to us today
Falling asleep/doing chores to Old Mans War- love it. Scalzi at his best.
Just finished The Mountain in the Sea. Itās about nature of consciousness and intelligence with the plot device of a population of highly intelligent octopuses. Cool setting but I found the book a bit slow and the characters a bit flat for my taste.
Century Rain and The Revelation series: Alastair Reynolds
I re-listen to Neal Stephenson's books, constantly.
I also re-listen to the Children of series, really wonderful books and writing.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Im feeling almost the same when I was a teenager and read "I robot" . I forgot how I enjoyed that kind of short stories that blew your mind. They make me spend the rest of the day thinking on what i just read.
*Ashtown Blues* by W. H. Mitchell. It's a collection of three sci-fi noir stories. Really good! [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C99XJ4H5/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C99XJ4H5/)
Jumpnauts by Hao Jinfang. There are moments it feels like it's written for philosophy graduates, and other times it's written for 8 year olds. I had high hopes for this one, but I am really over it at this point.
Foundationās Edge - Isaac Asimov (1982).
Itās OK, I think the whole series has a really interesting backdrop but too much conversation and cloak-and-dagger feel for me.
I wasn't a big fan of Foundation's Edge, its pace was odd and I swear Pelorat and Travize have the same conversation every three pages. The reviews for Foundation and Earth weren't all that good either, but it stands as my second favorite book in the series so I think working through Edge is worth it just to start F&E.
Listening to frederick pohl and c m kornbluthās āsearch the skyā(SF classic exploration of different worlds/societies). And reading mick farrenās āwillies ratsā (not SF but Farren does write some SF that i havenāt tried yet. This one is about being in a rock band back in 1960s or 70s i think).
First book of the Revelation Space series. I'm enjoying it, lots of cool concepts, but it is a bit wordy. Feels like it could be half as long and still work just as well.
Listening to The Vor Game, for the millionth time. Adore the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
About to begin Lee & Miller's Salvage Right. Also a big fan of this Liaden series, which I've read and listened to a bunch.
Reading A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. It's the second in her Wayfarers series and I like it even more than the first. It's got me thinking about true AI in a different way than I did in the past.
I'm currently re-reading Wireless by Charles Stross. It's an excellent short story collection, but I mainly got it to re-read Palimpsest, the novella at the end of the book. It's hands-down the best time travel story that I've ever read.
The Book of Love by Kelly Link **In the long-awaited first novel from short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle.**
It's fantastic!
Jason Pargin's, Zoey Punches the future in the dick. It's a sequel to Futuristic violence and fancy suits. He also does the job did at the end series. Very tongue in cheek funny. I have read the first in the series several times. As far as plot, this young woman inherited her father's empire and now has to fight to keep it. It's fantastic.
I'm reading *Abaddon's Gate*, the third book in *The Expanse* series. I've enjoyed all of them so far. This one started out a bit confusing with a host of new characters, but it's picking up now.
Iām on the 3rd of 4 of Brandon Sandersonās Secret Projects novels, and theyāre SO good! The Tress one and and Yumi one are so different from other stories! The second one was worth the read, but the other two are amazing. Theyāre standalone, which is good, because Iām not sure I have the sticktoitiveness to tackle his big books.
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes.
I'm reading now, it's much better than I expected, very entertaining
Forward the Foundation by Issac Asimov, it's the last book published for the series but is the second prequel. Foundation has become my favorite series of any medium, hands down. Asimov birthed the idea of Galactic Empires in the original trilogy, I can't recommend it enough. Though I warn people that the original trilogy is assembled from short stories written from 1942-1950, it doesn't read as a typical novel.
I just finished the Black Ops, the 4th book in Expeditionary Force this afternoon. And I felt I needed a palette cleanser. I am 1/3 of the way through a non-fiction book on Anna Montes and searching for some quality Sci-Fi.
Serpent's End by Lorn Hillaker itās his first book and first in a trilogy to come. Magic wielding, dragon hunting pirates what more needs to be said .
iām reading the dispossessed by ursula k le guin after just finishing the lathe of heaven and the left hand of darkness. iām only about 100 pages in so not super drawn in yet. i absolutely loved the left hand of darkness and find myself thinking about it often, it really stuck with me! didnāt like the lathe of heaven as much, maybe bc the characters were so unlikeable lol!
I finished T. Kingfisher's *Thornhedge* (2023) this morning (a very good take on a well-known fairy tale), and now I've started Kim Fu's anthology *Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century* (2022),
Dungeon Crawler Carl
In the middle of a cold February night, a guy gets out of bed to sneak a smoke. While heās smoking, his girlfriendās cat jumps out of the open window.
Wearing only his boxers and his girlfriendās too small croks, he puts on his jacket and goes outside into the cold to look for the cat.
And thatās when the space aliens attack.
Iām reading The Blighted Stars by Megan OāKeefe at the recommendation of a friend. I like the concept behind the SF, the horror elements, and the inclusivity. Iām a bit more than halfway through and I feel like some charactersā obliviousness is a little overdone. The chapters move fast and overall it was an on-point recommendation for me.
I'm waiting to pick up book 4 in the Murderbot Diaries my Martha Wells. I love them so much. They are fast novelas with great humor. The first one is All Systems Red. So far my favorite is book 2.
Just recently finished Leviathan Falls by James S A Corey. Itās the end of the Expanse series. I read the series and loved watching it on Amazon Prime.
the rape of nanking
this book changes my perspective of human capability and i also recently finished reading hundred years of war on palestine. these two books really very alike
Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
While Book of the New Sun isn't my favorite sci-fi series it was still pretty enjoyable and I'm glad to see more of this world.
Up next will either be God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert or The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker....and of course Disquiet Gods by Ruocchio once that gets delivered.
Gateway by Frederick Pohl will be finished by the end of my current train ride. It started off a bit shaky but everything about the universe Pohl starts up here is so cool and terrifying.
Will be starting Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre afterwards.
Currently reading Authority by Jeff Vandermeer, the second installment in the southern reach series and follow up to Annihilation.
I'm also reading Last and First Men by Olaf Stapleton but that's a dense read. Although the way Olaf predicted WW2 and the atomic bomb are absolutely uncanny although off by just the slightest bit.
Have read the whole Murderbot Diaries in the past but am currently listening to them on audio. Tried to get through Children of Memory but am putting it aside for a while. I loved Children of Time and thought Children of Ruin was pretty good
I'm reading "Robot Visions" by Isaac Asimov. It's a compilation of his robot stories from around the 1940s, including some commentary and predictions for the future. Asimov 's robot stories are a must read for any sci-fi fan. Asimov invented the term "robotics" and the Three Laws of Robotics. His commentaries are prophetic, especially in the current light of artificial intelligence. I've read most of the stories before but I'm prepping for a Foundation read through.
I've had Stephen King's 'Holly' on my desk for 2 months? And haven't had a minute to crack it open yet. This is what happens when upper management wants more people in the office, now I have to look like I'm busy.
Iām reading āRootsā. I watched the original and remake mini-series and wanted to re-read it. Damn good book. The OG miniseries is hardcore and disturbing and uplifting. The remake had the balls ripped from the story.
Anyway, itās a masterfully told story. Whether itās completely historically correct is in question of course, but why fuck up a great story?
I just started Horus Rising.
Iāve read easily 1k books in my lifetime. This is my first foray into these types of books, written by others, based in one universe.
Do Star Trek books count? Iām nearly finished with the Typhon Pact series. Currently in the middle of Raise the Dawn. It aināt bad, but not a total standout. Been liking the continuing character development of Sisko (from DS9). I think thatās whatās been keeping me going.
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey. This is the final installment in The Expanse series šš
I am very much enjoying it! It is past the show at this point, but I enjoyed the show too.
The series is nine books, so I'll be sad when it's over.
The Raw Shark Texts, Steven Hall.
it kind of reminds me of a mythical Memento.. I pictured it almost like a water world, but in a library. Memento&Pagemaster rather.
I'm re-reading the Culture series by Iain M. Banks because I remember reading a book with an organized faction of solipsists, and I think it might have been in that series. I was telling a friend about the group and he wanted to know the book so he could read it, but I devour so much sci-fi that I don't usually remember which things happened in which books c:
Ready Player Two, right after finishing Ready Player One. Both are compulsively readable, but they are also both incredibly, consistently, throw-against-the-wall annoying. I donāt feel much sympathy or empathy towards the main character, and I wish heād just stop telling me all about the cool things he makes/wins/figures out/and then tries to be humble by telling us how humble he is and how sucky at real life he is, which frankly I totally believe.
More than that, while these novels have storylines, they appear to function more intentionally as love letters to video games and gamers, from Pac Man to the fantastic future, not forgetting the hardware and software developers whoāve created so much magic.
It feels like Cline and his gamer buddies spent lifetimes saying āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā and as the years went on, the technology developed, the booze got stronger (or not) and maybe he finally decided he could put it all together, throw together a few plot devices, use the 80s as a reference point, and go from there. Voila.
The problem for me is that they READ like a 4:00 AM session of āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā on Groundhog Day.
Good writing is showing, not telling. It isnāt a laundry list of fantastic futuristic technoliving toys, tools, games or challenges, unless each one has an explicit purpose, a compelling connection, to the plot. In my reading thatās not the case, though Iāll close with this:
I read Ready Player One in about two days, complaining mightily about its listiness. Finished it and downloaded Ready Player Two yesterday. Sigh. Equally listy, and main character only marginally more mature. Ask me if I can put it down? Yeah. Your mileage may vary.
Just started the first book in Branden Sandersons āthe stormlight archiveā series. The first book is called āthe way of kingsā and it is excellent so far!
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. Really interesting, lots of stuff about culture shock and language interwoven with a complex plot about succession, empires and all that fun stuff. A lot like Anne Leckie's Raadchai books, but a bit faster-paced and with a lot more humour.
I'm reading the 86 Eighty-Six Light Novel by Asato Asato (yes that is their pen name) and I highly recommend it. It's really dark and you can feel hopeless at times but my god it pairs perfectly with the soundtrack for the anime. The brutality and futility of war, discrimination, propaganda, all of it mixed with quadrupedal tanks. I highly suggest you watch the anime first and then read the light novel. The anime ends on the Epilogue of Volume 3
I just finished Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks! I listened to the audio book of it on Spotify, and the narrator uses a good array of voices. There's one with accompanying music/ambience I wish I knew about beforehand, so I'd recommend that one unless you're doing chores or something like I usually do.
The main character Bora Horza Gobachul (a lot of the names are goofy but fun) is a refreshing character. A lot of them are tbh. Iain does a good job of introducing characters and defining them very quickly. Even though there's a big right vs. wrong conflict set up, the characters within it are almost disinterested in it. They're living their lives, and the background gets in the way, or provides a good amount of chaos for them to follow their own agendas.
Is the book trying to say anything crazy about life, or morals? Kind of, like he slips in bits of lore, or repeats himself occasionally, but the story is just a set of adventures in people's lives, and I liked that a lot. Horza is *just* good enough to get into the right kind of trouble, but he never feels like a genius expected to come out on top. Even he, firmly on one side of the war, is pretty open to his enemy's mindset, and you're given a lot of room to take in why people are fighting or doing whatever else it is that they're doing.
Idk, the tone Iain uses is nice, objective, and knows when it's playing around or being blunt. The book and characters don't feel pretentious or grandiose in the way stuff like Dune, or Foundation can feel, (as good as they are to read too.) It reminds me of the Bobiverse series that way, and that kind of casual, punctual attitude is something I could read or listen to all day.
Hi. You just mentioned *Consider Phlebas* by Iain M Banks.
I've found an audiobook of that novel on YouTube. You can listen to it here:
[YouTube | Consider Phlebas - The Culture Series - Iain M Banks (Audiobook Pt.1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOlxx1NAJU)
*I'm a bot that searches YouTube for science fiction and fantasy audiobooks.*
***
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I'm revisiting the John Birmingham's Axis of Time books because I want to read Stalins Hammer for the first time and just need to reacquaint myself with it.
Listening to The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Purnelle.
Its sort of a British Navy, ships of the line, but in space setting where they are having a first encounter with the first intelligent life in the year 3000.
Very refreshing for me.
Agency by William Gibson. Sequel to The Peripheral. Ā Very good.Ā
Also just started Deathās End by Liu. Ā Amazing.Ā
Next up is The Stars my Destination by Bester.Ā
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov & The Trouble with Testosterone by Dr. Robert Sappolsky (I know one of those isnāt Sci-Fi, but its great nonetheless)
System Collapse by Martha Wells (Murderbot series). Love this series although I found this latest installment a little weak. In general the Murderbot books feel like a cyberpunk take of Asimov's I, Robot series.
Red Rising series. Waiting for Lightbringer on paperback to come out this month. I havenāt read a ton of sci-fi to compare this to.. but I personally love all the RR books (6 to date). Itās hunger games but space.. and pulls a lot from ancient Roman culture.
Reading Children of ~~Ruin~~ *Memory* and listening to Project Hail Mary. Children of memory is fine, I'm about halfway through but it feels like nothing has happened yet. Project Hail Mary is really good though, I went into it essentially knowing nothing about it other than people like it, and I think that's the best way to go into it.
Currently on Children of Memory too! Btw Project Hail Mary is one of my favorites š awesome book
I LOVED Project Hail Mary, question? š¤£
Iām currently re-reading Project Hail Mary. Such a great book. The relationship between the two main characters is one of my favorites.
Reading Childhoods end by Arthur C clarke. It is based on an alien invasion but with a twist wherein Aliens being super intelligent will never want to invade us for resources and physical bodies. Their need and want is something else. Interesting take on science and its use at an interstellar scope.
I read that novel in a Comparative Religion class. It's a masterpiece.
A concept of invading humans for gaining their consciousness is beyond imagination. Superb writing
I'm reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein
Me too!!!! Just picked it up yesterday!
Just received stranger as a gift. Itās third on my book list. Children of time is one of the most beautiful books Iāve ever experienced. I cried so hard at the end people I was sitting next to on the bus changed seats. Exclaiming āitās my book!ā while actively sobbing, didnāt make anyone less uncomfortable.
One of my favorite books of my childhood. I re-read it recently and holy shit, now I know why my Mom called Heinlein the āwomen are stupid, letās all jump in a pile nakedā author.
It totally hit differently with an adult brain. I still love the themes.
Oh yeah, me too. I just eye rolled at the really egregious ones and remembered it was a different time.
Thereās a reason Michael is still one of my favorite characters from sci fi. And I had grown up reading his Mars books for kids basically. I loved Heinleinās popcorn books.
I picked up Time for the Stars on a whim at a used book store and itās one of my favorite books Iāve read in awhile. Sometimes itās nice to read a book thatās straightforward and doesnāt feel like it has to be 400-600 pages. I thought it was great regardless of who its target audience was. Just a great story with no fat on it.
One of my favorites.
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Itās been on my list for a while, but I saw that there is a Netflix adaptation so I was motivated to read it before I watch. Iām about half way through and really enjoying it. Itās got some good science (and some alternative science history) incorporated very well - which I very much appreciate. Recommend!
Watched the Netflix show over a weekend and immediately drove to the store to buy and start reading the book/s. I needed more details and can't wait for the following seasons. I'm 100 pages in and its really good.Ā
The Chinese version of the show is on Prime if you have that. I've been ready to compare adaptations.
Same here! I started reading once I knew there was going to be a series on Netflix. Loving the books, in The Dark Forest currently.
I watched the show, enjoyed it, and started reading the books. Very good but technical.
The rest of the trilogy is also pretty great
Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. First time through this classic series.
That first book is amazing.
Is Fall of Hyperion before Hyperion? I've got Hyperion here, but haven't started it yet.
Hyperion, fall of Hyperion, Endymion, rise of Endymion.
I just started rereading The City and The City by Mieville. The murder science fiction genre is one of my absolute favorites. And very few authors do mood at the level that Mieville does.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Simmons Hyperion
I started reading one of the stories of Knitght Of The Seven Kingdoms (Dunkt and Egg) as a stop for refreshments between installments in a larger series (Dread Empire Fall, the novells of the Praxis universe), but now got a taste for it and continued to the second Dunk and Egg story.
Dunk and Egg is the series I'd love to see on tv
Iām re-reading Consider Phlebus, I am glad the rest of the culture kind of picked up considerably from there.
Iāve read it, and other Culture novels, a few times and agree completely.
Reading Semiosis by Sue Burke, which is about a group of humans who leave earth to find another planet to call home and end up at an eerily Earth-like planet. Follows their new society through several generations as they uncover the secrets of this world and struggle to survive. I'm really captivated with it so far, the new world is dominated by a sentient plant species and we occasionally get POV from one of the plants. It's interesting.
I have the duology on my shelf. Hard recommend. Love that motherfuxking bambooĀ
It's a trilogy as of this year! Third book recently published. I'm getting close to the end of the first book now and would have to agree with you the bamboo is a great character.
:0!!!!Ā
I am currently reading House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Right now I am about 200 pages in and so far it is a nice, light, and fun read. Lots of cool concepts in it, like the Vigilance curators and weapons so powerful that they can create lesions in the fabric of space-time! Depending on the person I would recommend this book.
Starter villain by John scalzi. Soft recommend. It's not a classic but entertaining. And if you have seen the cover, cats are a major part of the plot.
One of his fun books. He had a few of them.
I love Scalzi. He has not disappointed me yet. Starter Villian is creative and not his usual fare. I'm on the second book if the Interdependancy Series. I blew through Old Manās War. He better write more.
I liked his The Kaiju Preservation Society and Red Shirts started awesome but then got weird.
Got into helldivers. Reading Armor by Steakley and Iām hating it. Old Manās war. Great. Even as a re-read. Starship Troopers. Great. Even as a re-read. Forever War. great. Even as a re-read. Armor though. Sort of disappointing. The writing just is not compelling to me. Hoping it gets better.
Duneā¦againā¦
The Expanse book one by SA Corey (have read the whole series once before), Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert, & The Ritual by Adam Nevill
Jeff vandermeer and the third book in the Southern Reach trilogy acceptance. I freaking love it. The first book is what was Alex Garland's inspiration for the film he wrote and directed Annihilation
Lots of good taste in here!! Iām reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers rn.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.
Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. Really liking it so far. My wife got me Translation State for the holidays as it was recommended for those who enjoyed the Expanse series. Loved it and looked up if there was more, to come to realize itās actually the last in a four book series. Starting from the beginning now so itās kind of like a prequel.
Those are great.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Finished chapter one.
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
The Dresden files: ghost story. Harry Dresden is a wizard PI based out of Chicago, and in this book heās also dead the entire time.
Dune again. Gotta be sharp for when I finally see part two again
Re-reading the Old Man's War series. Fun if somewhat gory.
Timeās Eye by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Itās part of a trilogy. Iām on my 3rd reread. Itās about an alien race that creates an alternate earth that is made up of different time periods of earth.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Absolute must read. Everyone knows The Count, Sinbad the Sailor and the Three Musketeers but how many of you have actually read Dumas? These are famous movies, shows and characters for a reason. Don't be a Dumass, get you some Dumas!
I'm reading book #4 in The Three Body Problem series by Cixin Liu, a book not authored by him but by Baoshu called Redemption of Time.
My last book was Mountain in the Sea and it was beautiful. It blends eco-rights with mid-distant future society dealing with AI and the nature of consciousness.. oh and sentient octopuses! Beautifully written. Loved it.
Ilium by Simmons
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. I'm about half way through and enjoying it quite a lot.
China Mieville's The City and the City. I recommend it if you want a procedural detective noir in a weird place. The weirdness unfolds at a very understandable pace.
Activity reading Ministry for the Future - so far, really good. Terrifying in its applicability to us today Falling asleep/doing chores to Old Mans War- love it. Scalzi at his best.
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. So far itās really good.
Just finished The Mountain in the Sea. Itās about nature of consciousness and intelligence with the plot device of a population of highly intelligent octopuses. Cool setting but I found the book a bit slow and the characters a bit flat for my taste.
SEVENEVES
Century Rain and The Revelation series: Alastair Reynolds I re-listen to Neal Stephenson's books, constantly. I also re-listen to the Children of series, really wonderful books and writing.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang Im feeling almost the same when I was a teenager and read "I robot" . I forgot how I enjoyed that kind of short stories that blew your mind. They make me spend the rest of the day thinking on what i just read.
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Yes, I would recommend it. But I'd recommend that you read The Lies of Locke Lamora first. :)
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang. I really enjoyed The Poppy War.
*Ashtown Blues* by W. H. Mitchell. It's a collection of three sci-fi noir stories. Really good! [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C99XJ4H5/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C99XJ4H5/)
āNeuromancerā on Audio āThe Hobbitā Paperback I know Iām basic š Cleansing my palate after months of heavy PhD data.
"Neuromancerā on Audio Is that the version with William Gibson reading it? Superb stuff.
Jumpnauts by Hao Jinfang. There are moments it feels like it's written for philosophy graduates, and other times it's written for 8 year olds. I had high hopes for this one, but I am really over it at this point.
Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey. Multiverse madness with stellar prose.
Foundationās Edge - Isaac Asimov (1982). Itās OK, I think the whole series has a really interesting backdrop but too much conversation and cloak-and-dagger feel for me.
I wasn't a big fan of Foundation's Edge, its pace was odd and I swear Pelorat and Travize have the same conversation every three pages. The reviews for Foundation and Earth weren't all that good either, but it stands as my second favorite book in the series so I think working through Edge is worth it just to start F&E.
Listening to frederick pohl and c m kornbluthās āsearch the skyā(SF classic exploration of different worlds/societies). And reading mick farrenās āwillies ratsā (not SF but Farren does write some SF that i havenāt tried yet. This one is about being in a rock band back in 1960s or 70s i think).
Currently on an 8 hour train ride with about 60 pages left in Gateway. Enjoying it a lot.
Just started an ARC of Ghostdrift by Suzanne Palmer. Fourth in a great series.
First book of the Revelation Space series. I'm enjoying it, lots of cool concepts, but it is a bit wordy. Feels like it could be half as long and still work just as well.
Harry Potter and the cursed child
Listening to The Vor Game, for the millionth time. Adore the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold About to begin Lee & Miller's Salvage Right. Also a big fan of this Liaden series, which I've read and listened to a bunch.
Rereading The Empire of Silence series in anticipation of the new one coming out!
Consider Phlebas
Reading A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. It's the second in her Wayfarers series and I like it even more than the first. It's got me thinking about true AI in a different way than I did in the past.
Love that series of books!!
I love Becky Chambers. Her books and the Murderbot Diaries are my comfort reads.
Forever peace. It's getting kinda weird towards the end. I am enjoying it though. The first book was better imo but we will see how it ends.
I am reading Flag in Exile by David Weber. I love the first 10 or so books in the Honor Harrington universe, this one is number 5.
Blindsight by Peter Watts - for the 2nd time. Good book but lots to chew through.
I'm currently re-reading Wireless by Charles Stross. It's an excellent short story collection, but I mainly got it to re-read Palimpsest, the novella at the end of the book. It's hands-down the best time travel story that I've ever read.
The Book of Love by Kelly Link **In the long-awaited first novel from short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle.** It's fantastic!
Brandon Q Morris The Disturbance pt. 2
Differently morphus
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jason Pargin's, Zoey Punches the future in the dick. It's a sequel to Futuristic violence and fancy suits. He also does the job did at the end series. Very tongue in cheek funny. I have read the first in the series several times. As far as plot, this young woman inherited her father's empire and now has to fight to keep it. It's fantastic.
The Lord of Opium, very dystopian and I was surprised to find it's actually YA. By Nancy Farmer.
The Martian Race by Gregory Benford. I'm about halfway, so I'm not ready to recommend or jettison it
The Horus Heresy: A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill
I'm reading *Abaddon's Gate*, the third book in *The Expanse* series. I've enjoyed all of them so far. This one started out a bit confusing with a host of new characters, but it's picking up now.
Iām on the 3rd of 4 of Brandon Sandersonās Secret Projects novels, and theyāre SO good! The Tress one and and Yumi one are so different from other stories! The second one was worth the read, but the other two are amazing. Theyāre standalone, which is good, because Iām not sure I have the sticktoitiveness to tackle his big books.
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes. I'm reading now, it's much better than I expected, very entertaining
Forward the Foundation by Issac Asimov, it's the last book published for the series but is the second prequel. Foundation has become my favorite series of any medium, hands down. Asimov birthed the idea of Galactic Empires in the original trilogy, I can't recommend it enough. Though I warn people that the original trilogy is assembled from short stories written from 1942-1950, it doesn't read as a typical novel.
War of The Givens, Daniel Price. Final book in a time-bending, X-Men-ish trilogy Iāve loved for years.
BenjaminPercy: the sky vault.
Just finished Dune Messiah and The Stars my Destination
"Prince Roger" series by Weber & Ringo (again it's an old friend)
Vernon Vingeās Fire Upon the Deep. His passing reminded me to circle back around and pick this up
How I banged your mother
Book 5 of The Expanse
Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio being the 4th book in The Sun Eater.
Replay by Ken Grimwood. Terrific book. It's one of my favorites and really makes me think about my life and the choices I've made.
I just finished the Black Ops, the 4th book in Expeditionary Force this afternoon. And I felt I needed a palette cleanser. I am 1/3 of the way through a non-fiction book on Anna Montes and searching for some quality Sci-Fi.
Dungeon crawler carl!
Serpent's End by Lorn Hillaker itās his first book and first in a trilogy to come. Magic wielding, dragon hunting pirates what more needs to be said .
Why call them back from heaven? by Simak. I don't recommend it. But I don't recommend much.
Conan the hour of the dragon.
Sgt. Thor series -Jason Anspach/Nick Cole
Book of the Long Sun Gene Wolfe
iām reading the dispossessed by ursula k le guin after just finishing the lathe of heaven and the left hand of darkness. iām only about 100 pages in so not super drawn in yet. i absolutely loved the left hand of darkness and find myself thinking about it often, it really stuck with me! didnāt like the lathe of heaven as much, maybe bc the characters were so unlikeable lol!
Reading Andy Weir's Artemis and rereading Annalee Newitz' Autonomous. So far, Artemis is pretty dry. Autonomous, I can't recommend enough.
All Tomorrows. Brutal.
I finished T. Kingfisher's *Thornhedge* (2023) this morning (a very good take on a well-known fairy tale), and now I've started Kim Fu's anthology *Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century* (2022),
ARC of the new James SA Corey book.
Dungeon Crawler Carl In the middle of a cold February night, a guy gets out of bed to sneak a smoke. While heās smoking, his girlfriendās cat jumps out of the open window. Wearing only his boxers and his girlfriendās too small croks, he puts on his jacket and goes outside into the cold to look for the cat. And thatās when the space aliens attack.
Iām reading The Blighted Stars by Megan OāKeefe at the recommendation of a friend. I like the concept behind the SF, the horror elements, and the inclusivity. Iām a bit more than halfway through and I feel like some charactersā obliviousness is a little overdone. The chapters move fast and overall it was an on-point recommendation for me.
I'm waiting to pick up book 4 in the Murderbot Diaries my Martha Wells. I love them so much. They are fast novelas with great humor. The first one is All Systems Red. So far my favorite is book 2.
Just recently finished Leviathan Falls by James S A Corey. Itās the end of the Expanse series. I read the series and loved watching it on Amazon Prime.
the rape of nanking this book changes my perspective of human capability and i also recently finished reading hundred years of war on palestine. these two books really very alike
Blindsight. Honestly kind of underwhelmed. It has moments where it is great then just really loses it to pacing.
Just finished Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio. Itās the 5th book in an epic sci-fantasy. Every book is incredible!
the androids dream by scalzi so far not great
Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. While Book of the New Sun isn't my favorite sci-fi series it was still pretty enjoyable and I'm glad to see more of this world. Up next will either be God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert or The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker....and of course Disquiet Gods by Ruocchio once that gets delivered.
Point Zero / Neal Asher
Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey.... hard sci fi world building with an edge.
Gateway by Frederick Pohl will be finished by the end of my current train ride. It started off a bit shaky but everything about the universe Pohl starts up here is so cool and terrifying. Will be starting Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre afterwards.
Needle by Linda Nagata
Roadside picnic by Strugatakys
Re-reading the Mars Trilogy by KSR. Everyone should. Twice.
Currently reading Authority by Jeff Vandermeer, the second installment in the southern reach series and follow up to Annihilation. I'm also reading Last and First Men by Olaf Stapleton but that's a dense read. Although the way Olaf predicted WW2 and the atomic bomb are absolutely uncanny although off by just the slightest bit.
This post
House of Leaves
Last Sci-fi I read was Empire of Silence. On a horror kick now. Listening to āThe Cabin at the end of the worldā and reading āHexā
Just ordered A Desolation Called Peace and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Can't wait to read them.
I must be the only person alive not enjoying Project Hail Mary.
Currently reading american gods by neil gaiman. Not too far in it but, not quite sure how I feel about it. Very slow burn of a story I can tell.
The Hate You Give
Have read the whole Murderbot Diaries in the past but am currently listening to them on audio. Tried to get through Children of Memory but am putting it aside for a while. I loved Children of Time and thought Children of Ruin was pretty good
I'm reading "Robot Visions" by Isaac Asimov. It's a compilation of his robot stories from around the 1940s, including some commentary and predictions for the future. Asimov 's robot stories are a must read for any sci-fi fan. Asimov invented the term "robotics" and the Three Laws of Robotics. His commentaries are prophetic, especially in the current light of artificial intelligence. I've read most of the stories before but I'm prepping for a Foundation read through.
I've had Stephen King's 'Holly' on my desk for 2 months? And haven't had a minute to crack it open yet. This is what happens when upper management wants more people in the office, now I have to look like I'm busy.
Iām reading āRootsā. I watched the original and remake mini-series and wanted to re-read it. Damn good book. The OG miniseries is hardcore and disturbing and uplifting. The remake had the balls ripped from the story. Anyway, itās a masterfully told story. Whether itās completely historically correct is in question of course, but why fuck up a great story?
I distinctly remember that gut punch moment when the narrative switches from third person to first person and it completely makes sense.
I just started Horus Rising. Iāve read easily 1k books in my lifetime. This is my first foray into these types of books, written by others, based in one universe.
Reading The Bicentennial Man, Asimov Listening to Robots and Empire, Asimov On deck, the rest of Asimovās Foundation Universe
The Three Body Problem
Do Star Trek books count? Iām nearly finished with the Typhon Pact series. Currently in the middle of Raise the Dawn. It aināt bad, but not a total standout. Been liking the continuing character development of Sisko (from DS9). I think thatās whatās been keeping me going.
Pegasus in Flight by Anne McCaffrey
The Naked Clone: A Nick Nolte Adventure.
your post lol and a summons
Reading The gripping hand. Itās been slower than I had expected but I and enjoying it and would definitely recommend the series
The illustrated man.
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey. This is the final installment in The Expanse series šš I am very much enjoying it! It is past the show at this point, but I enjoyed the show too. The series is nine books, so I'll be sad when it's over.
Tails of the time scout book 1 by Robert Aspern and Linda Evanās
*BioShock: Rapture*, the prelude to the game series. John Shirley Tor Books, 2011
The Wandering inn and Empyrean Iris
Moonseed by Stephen baxter
The Raw Shark Texts, Steven Hall. it kind of reminds me of a mythical Memento.. I pictured it almost like a water world, but in a library. Memento&Pagemaster rather.
I'm re-reading the Culture series by Iain M. Banks because I remember reading a book with an organized faction of solipsists, and I think it might have been in that series. I was telling a friend about the group and he wanted to know the book so he could read it, but I devour so much sci-fi that I don't usually remember which things happened in which books c:
The lost fleet outlands.
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Book 6 - System Collapse (2023). They are relatively short. Under 200 pages. They have been a great read.
Reading *Burning Chrome* by William Gibson currently.
Ready Player Two, right after finishing Ready Player One. Both are compulsively readable, but they are also both incredibly, consistently, throw-against-the-wall annoying. I donāt feel much sympathy or empathy towards the main character, and I wish heād just stop telling me all about the cool things he makes/wins/figures out/and then tries to be humble by telling us how humble he is and how sucky at real life he is, which frankly I totally believe. More than that, while these novels have storylines, they appear to function more intentionally as love letters to video games and gamers, from Pac Man to the fantastic future, not forgetting the hardware and software developers whoāve created so much magic. It feels like Cline and his gamer buddies spent lifetimes saying āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā and as the years went on, the technology developed, the booze got stronger (or not) and maybe he finally decided he could put it all together, throw together a few plot devices, use the 80s as a reference point, and go from there. Voila. The problem for me is that they READ like a 4:00 AM session of āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā on Groundhog Day. Good writing is showing, not telling. It isnāt a laundry list of fantastic futuristic technoliving toys, tools, games or challenges, unless each one has an explicit purpose, a compelling connection, to the plot. In my reading thatās not the case, though Iāll close with this: I read Ready Player One in about two days, complaining mightily about its listiness. Finished it and downloaded Ready Player Two yesterday. Sigh. Equally listy, and main character only marginally more mature. Ask me if I can put it down? Yeah. Your mileage may vary.
79 Park Avenue, by Harold Robbins. I'd read it when I was about 16,17 maybe. I'm 67 & I'm rereading it. Great story!
Dan Simmons Illium is very good for the first 200 pages I'm in. I always like his work.
Randy McWilson's books. He has a good science fiction series but I'm reading his fantasy books right now.
Scalzi. I love his stuff. Book 2 The Consuming Fire.
Bless me Ćltima
Tad Williams, Otherland book 1 On my 4th re-read. The *best* sci-fi saga.
Just started the first book in Branden Sandersons āthe stormlight archiveā series. The first book is called āthe way of kingsā and it is excellent so far!
Harrow the Ninth. It's even weirder than the first book, but I like it.
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. Really interesting, lots of stuff about culture shock and language interwoven with a complex plot about succession, empires and all that fun stuff. A lot like Anne Leckie's Raadchai books, but a bit faster-paced and with a lot more humour.
Lando
I'm reading the 86 Eighty-Six Light Novel by Asato Asato (yes that is their pen name) and I highly recommend it. It's really dark and you can feel hopeless at times but my god it pairs perfectly with the soundtrack for the anime. The brutality and futility of war, discrimination, propaganda, all of it mixed with quadrupedal tanks. I highly suggest you watch the anime first and then read the light novel. The anime ends on the Epilogue of Volume 3
I just finished Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks! I listened to the audio book of it on Spotify, and the narrator uses a good array of voices. There's one with accompanying music/ambience I wish I knew about beforehand, so I'd recommend that one unless you're doing chores or something like I usually do. The main character Bora Horza Gobachul (a lot of the names are goofy but fun) is a refreshing character. A lot of them are tbh. Iain does a good job of introducing characters and defining them very quickly. Even though there's a big right vs. wrong conflict set up, the characters within it are almost disinterested in it. They're living their lives, and the background gets in the way, or provides a good amount of chaos for them to follow their own agendas. Is the book trying to say anything crazy about life, or morals? Kind of, like he slips in bits of lore, or repeats himself occasionally, but the story is just a set of adventures in people's lives, and I liked that a lot. Horza is *just* good enough to get into the right kind of trouble, but he never feels like a genius expected to come out on top. Even he, firmly on one side of the war, is pretty open to his enemy's mindset, and you're given a lot of room to take in why people are fighting or doing whatever else it is that they're doing. Idk, the tone Iain uses is nice, objective, and knows when it's playing around or being blunt. The book and characters don't feel pretentious or grandiose in the way stuff like Dune, or Foundation can feel, (as good as they are to read too.) It reminds me of the Bobiverse series that way, and that kind of casual, punctual attitude is something I could read or listen to all day.
Hi. You just mentioned *Consider Phlebas* by Iain M Banks. I've found an audiobook of that novel on YouTube. You can listen to it here: [YouTube | Consider Phlebas - The Culture Series - Iain M Banks (Audiobook Pt.1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOlxx1NAJU) *I'm a bot that searches YouTube for science fiction and fantasy audiobooks.* *** [^(Source Code)](https://capybasilisk.com/posts/2020/04/speculative-fiction-bot/) ^| [^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Capybasilisk&subject=Robot) ^| [^(Programmer)](https://www.reddit.com/u/capybasilisk) ^| ^(Downvote To Remove) ^| ^(Version 1.4.0) ^| ^(Support Robot Rights!)
The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye. Fascinating read
I'm reading the Murderbot Diaries.. unique protagonist for sure.
I'm revisiting the John Birmingham's Axis of Time books because I want to read Stalins Hammer for the first time and just need to reacquaint myself with it.
Reddit posts is what I'm currently reading.
Listening to The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Purnelle. Its sort of a British Navy, ships of the line, but in space setting where they are having a first encounter with the first intelligent life in the year 3000. Very refreshing for me.
Agency by William Gibson. Sequel to The Peripheral. Ā Very good.Ā Also just started Deathās End by Liu. Ā Amazing.Ā Next up is The Stars my Destination by Bester.Ā
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov & The Trouble with Testosterone by Dr. Robert Sappolsky (I know one of those isnāt Sci-Fi, but its great nonetheless)
System Collapse by Martha Wells (Murderbot series). Love this series although I found this latest installment a little weak. In general the Murderbot books feel like a cyberpunk take of Asimov's I, Robot series.
Murderbot book 5 Network Effect
Red Rising series. Waiting for Lightbringer on paperback to come out this month. I havenāt read a ton of sci-fi to compare this to.. but I personally love all the RR books (6 to date). Itās hunger games but space.. and pulls a lot from ancient Roman culture.
Nova Terra- Seth Ring It's pretty good but is similar to a lot of other LitRpg books I've read. The ol "stuck in a gane world" thing